my first 14 TIG welds......literally

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well this was a humbling experiece...........i fired up the "new" to me used lincoln invertec 155s it was santas present to me.i spent about 2 hours welding, reading, welding and generally trying to figure out what i was doing.  i have welds 11, 12 , 13 and 14 marked.....11 is  about 5 from the left in between some welds, these were my final settings, wired for  240v,  75 amps, 12 CFH, stick out 1/4", #6 cup and 3/32 thoriated,   i used  3  36" welding rods (radnor er70s-2), about 1/2" tungsten. running pure argon. welded on 1/4" angle iron.when it was flowing nice i could actually see the puddle forming, what causes the splatering and what is the poriosity caused from on my first welds.  thks for looking bobLast edited by 37ford4dr; 12-25-2011 at 09:48 PM.bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:Did you clean the metal prior to welding?Are you sure the argon was flowing?
Reply:on two or three of those really badly cratered welds i forgot to turn the gas on.....i only cleaned the metal by grinding it and then using a wire brush to clean the weld and then started a weld again....do i need to wipe down the metal with rubbing alcohol?  i did not clean the welding rod either.  thks bobbobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:Youve got some major contamination there...1) Get that metal clean. A grinder is good if you get ALL the millscale with it (down to shiny metal)2) Crank up that Argon, like 20CFH or so. Listen for it, to hear if its on.3) Move that tungsten in, 1/2" stickout is crazy. Try like half that, or less...Good luck, and Merry Christmas [Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:i meant i consumed a 1/2" of tungsten through screwups and grinding, stick out was between 3/16 and 1/4.  although i did remember that i felt the fan from the welder blowing on my hands and then moving the welder so it  didnt blow on where  i was working.  as i look back on it that was when i was getting the porousity....i bet the welding gas was getting blown away.   also that was an old rusty piece of angle iron i do recall seeing some flecks of rust in the newly grinded metal.....today when i work on the other side i will hit it with a wire brush first and then grind all thats left away so there is only perfectly shiny steel,  do you wipe stuff down with alcohol?bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:On steel, generally the only time I wipe down the metal with acetone is when I know there's oil on the material ( like new steel some times has) I guess I might wipe it down if there was a ton of dust on the material as well, but that would be more to get the dust to stick to the rag, than to actually degrease the surface.The end of #14 shows some promise. You need more amps. Crank that machine up and use the pedal if you have one to control the amperage. For that, I'd set the machine for 150 amps or so with a pedal. You would be better off using 1/8" rather than 1/4" when you need to go get more steel. 1/8" is thin enough so that you don't need tons of amps to weld it, and it's also thin enough to help teach you heat control. It's thick enough however to give you a bit of time to react to what is going on compared to say 16 ga. Get comfortable, practice a bit with just the pedal and running beads with no filler. The idea is to understand just what is happening when you adjust the amps. Try and move fast, try and move slow. Adjust the amps with the pedal to try and keep the puddle the same size the whole time.Remember, you melt the filler with the puddle, not the arc. Get the puddle going and then start adding filler. Any visible rust, can cause issues. Don't use a wire wheel and think the steel is "clean". It's not. A wire wheel will only polish the rust or scale, not remove it. You need to use a grinding disk, or sanding pad to remove rust and scale. If there is a lot of heavy rust, skip that piece and use something else. You'll spend to much time trying to clean the steel, and then still have to wonder if contamination is your doing, or just poor metal..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:thanks i have new 1/8" square tubing that has no rust I and will work on that with running beads with no filler,   this machine does not have a foot pedal just a "soft touch feature" for starting the arc.  i will try that and the post some pictures.  thks bobbobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:That being the case, set your amps a bit lower, say between 100 and 125 on the 1/8". You will have to control the heat with your travel speed and arc length then. It will take a bit more time to learn heat control, but it's doable. You need enough heat in the puddle to melt the rod, but not so much it's uncontrollable. If you need more heat, slow down slightly, need less move a bit faster.  Do a few runs with out filler adjusting the speed as you go and noting the way the puddle changes as you speed up /slow down. Try and keep your arc length as constant as possible when doing this. Then try the same thing again, but this time keep your speed the same, and vary your arc length as you go, again noting the changes in the puddle. Here it would probably help if you turn down the amps, so you can move a bit slower, while adjusting the arc length. Not having a pedal, you will need to learn to control the heat the "hard way". The more time you spend now getting a good solid understanding of just how things you do affect the puddle, the easier it will be later when you complicate things by adding filler and having to run in different positions. Eventually you will get to the point you will make these adjustments with out ever thinking about them. However if you understand WHY things happen, it will make it easier to make adjustments later when you have difficulties controlling the puddle say in vertical.After you feel you have some control over the puddle, then you can start adding filler to the list of things. Filler will also effect the heat and puddle. Larger filler will take more heat to melt than smaller filler, and cool the puddle more. Smaller filler will have less effect on the puddle, but mean you need to add more filler faster to get the same bead size..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Bob, I would consider leaving the filler rod out for now and just get used to the torch and watching the puddle. Move the puddle around with the torch. Use the pedal and see what changes when you do. Lengthen and shorten your arc. Start on the higher side with your gas flow rate and back it down until you start to see contamination. Experiment. You should be able to start and arc, get a puddle going, and then extinguish the arc without any contamination in the weld. It should be bright and shiny steel.I also suggest getting everything as clean as possible. Get all of the scale off and use alcohol or acetone. No need to further handicap your learning with dirty metal. When you get used to things, then you can start using your other hand and introduce filler.EDIT: I just saw your post above about not having a pedal. You can still experiment with amps and arc length.
Reply:Dirty metal, I just made a weld like this two days ago welding on a old rotted out plow for a 4 wheeler. There wasn't enough material left in some spots to grind down to clean metal so I had to power threw the bad spots. Add enough filler and the weld will come out nicer but porous on the inside.No need to wipe down metal with acetone or other cleaners. Just grind down to nice clean metal (no scale or rust showing) then wire brush a bit to get any remnants off wipe with dry clean towel. make sure tung is clean (no blowback or dipped junk on it), gas on and go to welding.
Reply:Looking back at the picture again I see all kinds of rust pockets in it. You have to grind down past all those rust pockets or your welds will always come out the same.Maybe go to a local fab shop or machinist shop and see if they will let you have (buy) some clean scraps to weld with.  Working with rusted junk just plain sucks!
Reply:thks guys i played around today with 1/8" new steel with no filler and just melted the puddle and moved it around.  i can definitiely see whats happening just not sure exactly why its doing what its doing....1.) i saw flashs but i think that was my self darkening helmet "flashing" on me, maybe its time for a new technology one this is 7-8 yrs old now.2.) so i observed the puddle spinning  on one occasion.  why?3.) i saw the arc dance off the end of the tungsten and move around i am guessing that is from contamination.4.)  why does the tungsten ball up on the end?  (2%thoriated)thks bobbobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:If your machine polarity is set to DCEP,the tungsten will ball (ditto in AC). Set your polarity to DCEN to tig steel (and other ferrous metals)
Reply:polarity was DC electode -........maybe it balled after i screwed up and started the arc with no gas flowing....i recall screwing up once like thatbobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:My first and last weld with Tig had be sticking the tungsten to the project, breaking it off - it coming out of the gun, and me completely forgetting about that it was red-hot seconds before, so reflexively trying to quickly catch it with my left thumb and pointer-finger.Wow... that damned thing gets hot.  LOL.I'm looking forward to trying it again.Lincoln Handy Mig
Reply:I have a V155-S.  Its a good tig welder.  It does take some time to remember to turn the gas on and off.  Touch start works great on mine.  You can adjust the heat with one hand and hold the torch with the other to see what it does.  Try to keep the arc as short as possible Like about 3/32".The rust in your plate is going to cause trouble.Have funDavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:well i did better tonight but sometimes still had sparks flying....new clean,  grinded metal  and  wiped down with alcohol......i looked at my grinding wheel i used for the tungsten and it is vitrified (sp?) aluminum oxide 60 grit is that screwing with me?   thks bobbobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:well i have gotten a lot better with practice, i am doing an hour a night of running beads with and with out filler rod.....one question though how long do i wait after i see the puddle form until i move on if i am not using a filler rod?  and long after i see the puddle is it before i dip the filler rod?seems like if i move on as soon as i see the puddle the welds look the nicest. thks bobbobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder